Emma Stone & Rachel Weisz Are Not The Only Co-Stars Who’ve Competed For The Same Award

It's happened recently, and in the same category.

For tonight’s Oscars, co-stars Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are both nominated for Best Supporting Actress for their roles in the period film The Favourite. It’s not an unusual circumstance — there is a history of inter-film competition (particularly in this category) that goes back to 1940, often pitting two co-stars against each other, and sometimes putting the studio in an awkward position.

For Weisz and Stone, it’s possible that the BAFTA Awards could serve as a preview for this battle of The Favourite stars, says Vulture. While Weisz walked away with the statue, experts say that Regina King could beat out both of these ladies, with her performance in the film If Beale Street Could Talk.

But Weisz and Stone seem to be taking the high road with a “charm offensive,” attending cocktail parties and teas while keeping the competition friendly and healthy.

In 2012, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain found themselves in the same position for the movie The Help. Following its release, working together and moving through the awards season as competitors seem to have bonded them in an ongoing effort for pay equality, says Variety.

Spencer ultimately won the award for her role in The Help, but she says that she and Chastain continued working together, with Chastain taking the lead in making sure they were tied together. This ensured that both received the same salaries when working on the same films.

Spencer says that she’s with Chastain, who is a true believer in the idea that things can change.

“Jessica Chastain believes. She is walking the walk. And now I want to go to what the men are making, but right now it feels really good just be in that conversation.”

But the campaign for Best Supporting Actress in 2011 got a bit dicey when Melissa Leo — who was nominated (and ultimately won) for her role in The Fighter — didn’t allow Paramount to run her campaign to win over voters. As a result, she “went rogue” says Deadline.

Leo explained that the other nominees, including co-star Amy Adams, were able to land magazine covers, but she was being snubbed. She chalked it up to ageism.

“I took matters into my own hands. I knew what I was doing and told my representation how earnest I was about this idea. I had never heard of any actor taking out an ad as themselves and I wanted to give it a shot.”

Many actresses in this category just keep it professional, often going into the competition as friends and coming out the other the same way — like Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith, who were both nominated for Gosford Park. Neither won the Oscar in 2002, but both seemed to enjoy the process, says BuzzFeed. At industry events leading up to the awards, Mirren and Smith often sat together, and were frequently photographed side by side.